Water seal for containers



Nw, 6 w23. www@ H. F. LEICHTFUSS WATER SEAL FOR CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 9. 1922 Herman E2. LEisl-Lthff/Y'Li Patented Nov. 6, i923..

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HER-MAN F, LEICHTFUSS, 0F MLWAUKEEWVISCONSIN.

WATER SEAL FOR CONTAINERS.

Application led November 9, 1922. Serial No. 599,797.

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN F. LEICHT- rUss, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in-the county of Milwaukee and State of `Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water Seals for Containers; and i do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The invention relates to a water seal for containers. lt comprises in one modifica'- tion, a basin, a pipe extending through an opening in the bottom thereof, a cork enveloping the pipe below the basin, a valve at the top of the pipe adapted toprevent air from flowing downwardly through the pipe, and a bottle enveloping,` the valve and the upper port-ion of the pipe and having its mouth resting upon the bottom of the basin.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a water seal adapted to permit the free escape of gas. The valve is light in weight so that a small amount of pressure is operative to cause a release of gas. On the escape of the gas or on the production of a vacuum in the container, the valve is operative tocheck the inow of air to preserve the contents of the container in an uncontaminated condition. The device .is reliable. There is substantially no possibility of leakage.

An object of the invention is the provision of a small unit which can be readily affixed to the containers and is adapted to be fitted to openings in various types of receptacles. such as bottles and casks. A cork is provided which may be pushed into an opening having a tight closure.

AiV further object. of the invention is the provision of a construction which is cheap, economical, inexpensive to manufacture, made of a minimum number of parts,and of especial simplicity.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appearv as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that while several modifications of the device are disclosed, the invention is capable of being modified further to a great eX- tent, and applicant does not limit himself to the precise construction shown, but desires to embrace a substantial range of equivalents within the scope of the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawing isillustrated several'modifications, so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which Figure l is a side elevation of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar elevation of another modification.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of some of thel parts shown in Figure 2 designed to bring out the valve operation.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a third modication. l

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a fourth modification, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of parts shown in Figure 5.

In all of the figures parts are broken away to better show the construction.

in the modification shown in Figure v1, a basin 10 has apipe 1l extending through an opening in the bottom thereof, the pipe being rigidly connected to the basin by solder, or many other suitable Ways. The pipe extends upwardly to point 12, being gradually bowed over and extending downwardly, having its terminus adjacent the bottom of the basin, which may be filled with water or any desired kind of liquid. A cork 13 envelops the pipe below the basin and contacts with the bottom of the basin. The pipe is adapted to be inserted into the neck 14C of a bottle but is not limited for use in this specific connection, being adapted for application to openings in various types of containers.

The formation of gas in the container, which may occur in fermentative processes, such as wine making, results in the escape of the fluid upwardly through the pipe, the gas bubbling up through the water in basin 10. The escaping gas overcomes a minor pressure of water in the basin 10, but the height of point 12 is such that on the cessationof pressure by the gases, there is no possibility of return of water or air through the pipe. Consequently, the contents of the bottle are preserved uncontaminated and a continuous, uninterrupted fermentative process results, an effective sealing of the contents occurring.

In the modification shown in Figure 2, a flat valve 15 is located at the upper terminus of the pipe, an elongated stem 16 extending from the valve into the end of the pipe.; The valve is adapted normallyto rest on the bottom of the basinv and therefore oii'ers no resistance to the escape of gases. `When Vpart of the contents of the bottle is Withdrawn, or When the bottle is cool so as to create a suction therein,there is a tendency for the liquidV in the basin to Vreturn through the pipe. rIliis lifts valve l5, checking the inflow of the Water and protecting the contents of the bottle. The short spacing of valve l5 from the moiitliof the pipe is such that the inflow of Water readily Y catches and lifts the valve to closing position. Y ,v t. y In the `modifications shown in Figures 4l, 5, and G, the pipe is substantially straight,

'- there being no curvature of tl'ieiipper part thereof. Albottle 17 env'elopsfthe upper portion of thel pipe, its neck resting on the bottom of the basin. The .bottle is very light in Weight 5o that but a small pressure V,which isaccentiiated by .the suction.

Y make doubly sure the impossibility of'sucking in Water and air beloiv the bottle, a flat valve l8iis provided resting on the upper end of 'the pipe and having a stem 19 extending downwardly into the pipe. The

- valve is .lifted byrv the rising gases, but Y suction serves only to'seat itmore tightly on the end of the pipe, making any effectivev closure and preventing the contamination of the contents of the bottle or of the con- 'taineiz spaced slightly above the valve.

The .pipeV may be made of any desired Vmaterial,*copper being satisfactory, and the basiny is preferably made of sheet metal. ltis apparent that cork 13 `may be inserted into the opening of any type of container. Where the opening is very large, a large cork-may beused. An effective sealresults,

The flat portion 2O of the bottle is n preventing escape of gases or inflowof air.

`rillie'unit is small, made up ofv a few' parts,

simple, and of a less cost of production.

Claims l. The combination of 'a-basin, a pip extending through an opening inthe bottom thereof, a stopper Venveloping said pipe vb'elovv said.. bottle, means for conducting i gasesy escaping through said pipe down- Wardly to the bottom of said basin,said basin being adapted to contain Water, anda valve Vcooperating with said means for preventing' the return of fluid through said pipe. i A i Y 2. The combination of a' basin adapted to contain a liquid, a pipe extending through the 1bottom thereof, aV stopper enveloping said pipe, a fiat valve resting upon the top of said pipe, a stemI on said valve extending into said pipe, and a movable '.member enveloping said pipe andvalve and resting on the bottom of said basin, said member having a closed vupper end.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing Vl have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, yin the county of Milwaukee' and State of llfisconsin.

HERMAN LnieHrrUss. 

